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March 23, 2012

Kathleen Turner and Evan Jonigkeit. Courtesy Photo

KATHLEEN TURNER - A TOUGH NUNKATHLEEN TURNER IS A TOUGH NUN!

Kathleen Turner as a potty-mouthed tough Nun is not surprising to me. I have been through the tough nun routine when I was a teenager. But in those days we didn’t do drugs. And doing drugs is something that Turners character (Sister Jamison Connelly) knows a lot about that. She was a drug addict for years before she gave into “God” and she was saved.

But saving Cody Randall (Evan Jonigkeit) is not so easy. Cody is a young man who grew up in Trailer Park Atmosphere. His Mom was a prostitute and she also brought her tricks home, some of them sodemized young Cody.

This was a painful time for Sister Jamison. She was asked by Father Michael Delpapp to give nurturing help to Cody. She didn’t want to do it – but finally gave in. But God and Sister Jamison could not control the handsome young lad. How wild was he? While among other things, he takes all of his clothes off in front of Sister Jamison and tries to run up against her. Of course, he was on drugs and completely out of control.

She tries to be on the same level with him by telling him “I curse A Lot” she blurts out to her patient Cody. There is bleakness to the play, suffused with some very funny dialogue.

Turner is a no nonsense performer. She still has that stage and screen presence that everyone loves. The only glitch was when Turner turns her back on the audience to talk to Cody – we miss some of the remarkable comments. I don’t know if there were any Mikes on – but several people during intermission were running to get the ear sound sets. A producer said to me in the audience that the performers should have on the little mikes on their ear. Good Idea!

There is a little of “Agnes of God” in the play as Sister Jamison tries to get Cody to pray with a rosary. He tries his best, but God wasn’t interested.

There is more intrigue that is going on in the background. Father Michael Dellpapp (Tim Altmeyer) struts his stuff around the parish – but he has some secrets that are just about to be revealed. And you will be shocked. Stranger stuff is about to be revealed. I’ll save that for you to see. But do see this "superb, engrossing and illuminating play."

‘HIGH IS NOW PLAYING AT THE CURRAN THEATRE. CLOSES ON MARCH 25th.Rating: Four Glasses of Champagne!!!! (highest rating) –trademarked-

More info: shnsf.com. Or call 888.746-1799

(((Lee Hartgrave has contributed many articles to the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook and he produced a long-running Arts Segment on PBS KQED)))